Originally Posted By: Guitarhacker
Ok... Let me jump back in.

I would like to know specifics on the recording of the Taylor acoustic.

What kind of mic?
Position of the mic in relation to the guitar body/ sound hole?
What processing was used.... EQ shelving, compression, etc.

The guitar is good. Exceptionally well recorded. It's nice and full, you can hear the ring of the strings and the resonance of the wood.

Well done sir. Do tell.

Herb, old friend, you're a man who has produced some great recordings on here and
you obviously know what you're doing, so your compliments are received with much respect.
First of all, this was a nice guitar. I've played lots of Taylor guitars and this had to be
the nicest, even though it wasn't one of the most expensive.
Secondly, the mic was a Neumann U87. If you're not familiar with this model, just Google it.
They cost a stupid amount of money (£2k+), but I've had this for around forty years using it
commercially and when we sold the studio about twenty five years ago I just had to keep it.
There are a lot of good mics around, but nothing sounds quite like a Neumann U87.
Thirdly, the mic placement and I know I have a different take on this to most established techniques.
I've seen lots of different ways that people mic-up acoustic guitars, some with multiple mic set-ups
and nearly all of them involve a mic up to the sound hole. My view is that if you want to listen to
someone playing an acoustic guitar, you don't walk up and stick your ear next to the sound hole. Instead,
you stand back to get the full sound, so this is how I place my mic. Exactly how far back depends on the
room - I want to be far enough back to let the sound spread out from the guitar, but unless the room
acoustics are really good I don't want to pick up too much ambience. I'm usually between three to six feet
away, at the same height as the guitar and using a cardioid pattern.
Lastly, there was there was no compression, because I wanted to be able to control the dynamics by what
I was playing. There was no EQ either, because the combination of the Taylor and the Neumann did it
all for me! The only effect on the guitar was a touch of the Harrison Gverb+ reverb plugin.
So, I hope this answers your questions and it wasn't a disappointment. By all means join in again if there's
anything I can expand on.
Take care and stay safe,
ROG.

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